Danny Welbeck wheels away in celebration after heading Manchester United into the lead

Real Madrid 1 Manchester United 1

Welbeck has spent the season watching Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney combine to fire United into a commanding lead in the Premier League.

But on one of the biggest nights and stages of all, forgotten man Welbeck grabbed the headlines for a change with one of the most valuable goals of his career.

His guided header after 20 minutes was his first goal since October and first in the Champions League since September 2011.

Far more importantly, however, was the fact Welbeck's strike gave United an away goal and realistic hope of overcoming Real Madrid when the two sides resume battle at Old Trafford on March 5 for a place in the quarter-finals.

It wasn't the winner. Cristiano Ronaldo saw to that with an even better header after 30 minutes to earn Mourinho's side a draw with his 33rd goal of the season.

It was always going to be a difficult task to keep Ronaldo out of the limelight and he revelled in the chance to face his former club.

Yet somehow even his incredible and dazzling skills couldn't engineer a win for Mourinho, who could now have to secure a victory in Manchester to save his job.

Ferguson was the happier manager at the final whistle, knowing United had something precious to take home and defend.

It promises to be another blockbuster and if it is half as entertaining as this game, then it will be one not to be missed.

This was a game that needed no introduction, a mammoth clash between two football giants with world-class stars, managed by genuine greats of the game.

Mourinho insisted it was the game "the whole world wanted to see" - and he wasn't wrong. Sometimes these matches can flatter to deceive, but this one kept its global audience captivated from start to finish.

Real, inspired by Ronaldo, tore into United from the start and could have been 3-0 up within the first 20 minutes.

But somehow Fergie's men survived and then took the lead with their first attack when Sergio Ramos got nowhere near Rooney's corner and Welbeck pounced to guide his header into the bottom corner and stun the Bernabeu.

Not that it changed a thing. David De Gea got down well to tip wide Angel Di Maria's raking drive before Ronaldo blazed just wide with his left foot as Madrid responded.

A Real goal was inevitable, as was the scorer, and it arrived from Ronaldo as United's lead was wiped out within 10 minutes.

Di Maria's deep cross left Patrice Evra looking like he had lead in his boots and up jumped Ronaldo to power an unstoppable header past a helpless De Gea.

Yet Welbeck came within a whisker of restoring United's lead moments later, while Rooney shot just wide as the game justified all the hype and expectation.

Mourinho's half-time team-talk didn't take long, though. He returned to the dugout several minutes ahead of his players and sat there with much to ponder.

He must have been wondering how Real weren't ahead, with Ronaldo stinging the palms of De Gea and Di Maria then volleying inches wide as this breathtaking encounter showed no signs of slowing down.

De Gea wasn't getting a minute's rest but seemed up to the challenge and produced another fine save, this time with his feet, to keep out left-back Fabio Coentrao's closerange effort on 61 minutes.

Real were landing the meatier punches but this was a heavyweight fight in which United kept coming back off the ropes.

Ferguson's men came close to regaining their lead on 72 minutes when Rooney burst clear and fed Van Persie.

The Dutchman seemed destined to score but somehow Diego Lopez managed to tip his effort on to the bar.

Even then Van Persie had another chance when the ball came back to him but he scuffed his shot and Xabi Alonso got back to hack it off the line.

Back came Mourinho's men when Ronaldo whistled a fierce free-kick just over the bar from fully 30 yards.

United were digging deep, with De Gea, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and novice Phil Jones outstanding in the visitors' rearguard action.

There was still time for a sting in the tail and it almost came at the death when United piled forward one last time in search of a famous win.

Van Persie took aim from a tight angle and his shot seemed destined for the far corner until Lopez got the slightest touch to divert it just wide.

It would have been the icing on the cake for United.

However, Fergie wouldn't have been too worried as he shook hands with counterpart Mourinho at the final whistle knowing his side are now favourites to progress following one of the most satisfying European nights of his illustrious career.